Amusement device



June 5, 1934. JENKINS 1,961,973

AMUSEMENT DEV I CE Filed May 22, 1935 INVENTOR.

Patented June 5, 1934 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Thomas M. Jenkins, Los Angeles, Calif. Application May 22, 1933, Serial No. 672,096

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a device in which a display, such as a picture, drawing, poem, advertisement, design or printed matter may be arranged in such a manner that parts of the dis- 5 play may be quickly withdrawn and other parts introduced to effect a change in the arrangement, an object being to provide means whereby the part of the display whichis withdrawn is replaced by a like part of different design but equally related to the display as a whole.

The present embodiment of my invention is in the form of an amusement device, or toy, in which rollers are suspended in a metal case, the rollers being pentagonal cylinders with a picture painted or printed upon the faces of the rollers and apart of the case. The picture, which is that of a mans face, is soarranged that the eyes are on a face of one of the rollers and the mouth on the face of another roller, and other features of the picture distributed over the other rollers. An object of the invention is to so arrange the picture that when 'a roller is turned to present a new pair of eyes, or a new mouth, or other feature, and thus change the character of the picture.

The device may be used as a means of amusement or entertainment or as an advertisement or announcement display, and is susceptable of many combinations in the design of the matter displayed. Another object is to provide a device which is adaptable to various display designs and is simple in construction, durable and not expensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view showing the face of the device and a representative picture selected to illustrate a display and in which one face of each roller appears through the grid of the case,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the distribution of the rollers,

Fig. 3 is a section at 33 of Fig. 1 showing more clearly the construction of the case, the mounting of the rollers and the springs.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary section at 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing more clearly the shape and positioning of the rollers and the springs which hold the rollers in the desired position, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary drawing, an unfoldment of the design on one of the rollers showing all the faces of a roller for comparison, the broken lines representing the lines between the faces of the roller and the spaces between the lines, lettered A, B, C, D and E, representing the faces.

Referring to the drawing with more particularity, the body of the present device consists of a case 1, and a cover member 2. The case 0 l is preferably made of sheet metal formed so as to provide two channels 3 and 4, Fig. 3, along the sides and a central display panel 5. The edges of the case adjoining the channels 3 and 4 are further bent downwardly to form flanges 6 and '7 which are perforated at spaced intervals with holes to provide journal bearings for the trunnions 8 and 9 of the rollers or spindles l0, l1, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

The panel portion 5 of the case 1 is perforated 7 at spaced intervals with slots leaving intermediate webs 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, and the parts are so distributed and positioned that the rollers or spindles are opposite the slots and appear through the slots between the webs as is seen in Fig. 1. The rollers or spindles may be round or polygonal, triangular or square, but preferably having fiat faces. In the present drawing, li-sided spindles are shown and these are arranged so that one face of each spindle shows 30 between the webs when the spindles are held in normal position. The spindles rotate easily upon their trunnions, and to hold them in the desired rest position after having been turned, springs indicated as 23, 24 and 25 in Fig. 4 are provided and secured within the channel 4, as by rivets 26, 27 and 28, one of which is also seen in Fig.

3. These springs normally rest against a flat face of the spindle to hold them on required position after rotation, but will yield to allow the spindles to be rotated. Other arrangements of springs may be made for the purpose, but the present arrangement is sufficiently illustrative.

To illustrate the display effect, a drawing of a face is imposed upon the panel 5 in Fig. l, the important features of the face being upon the faces of the spindles which appear between the webs, and portions of the face, including the outlines, being upon the webs and other portions of the panel. In the present drawing, the eyes of the face are upon the spindle 14 and the mouth upon the spindle 12, the other features of the face being appropriately distributed. A modification. or complementary presentation, of the feature on each spindle is drawn on each of the other faces of the same spindle and the spindles are rotated so as to present a different face between the webs.

A modification of the picture or drawing is thus presented by substitution. Thus many combinations of features may be arranged by rotating the spindles.

In Fig. 5 is shown an illustration of the spindle 14, showing an unfoldment of the faces, having eyes of diiferent design on each of the faces lettered A, B, C, D, and E as in Fig. 2. The other spindles are similarly arranged. The spindles may be rotated by the operator by rubbing the finger along over the exposed ends of the spindles, as at 29, Fig. 3. The eyes drawn in Fig. 5 and the face drawn in Fig. 1 are illustrative only. Any suitable drawing, picture or printed matter may be drawn, printed or painted in the panel and upon the spindles. As an illustration, a poem might be printed in the panel, the alternate lines being upon the webs and the faces of the spindles. Then other suitable lines printed upon the other faces of the spindles so that, when the spindles are rotated, various combinations of lines may be presented.

The display may be serious, comic or grotesque, to provide amusement, entertainment, advertising, etc., as may be desired. The device may be variously modified as to form or construction to accommodate various designs and for various purposes without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention, and I include all such modifications as may naturally come within the scope of my claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a case, slots in said case, and intervening Webs, rollers disposed and rotatably secured in said case opposite said slots, a design impressed upon said rollers and said webs to present a complete dis play or picture, and complementary portions of said design impressed upon other parts of said rollers to provide modifications of said design when any of the rollers are turned.

2. In a device of the character described, a case having a display panel portion perforated by slots and webs between said slots, rollers rotatably mounted in said case adjacent said slots, and appearing through said slots, a design impressed upon said rollers and webs to present a complete display or picture, and modified complementary portions of said design impressed upon other parts of said rollers.

3. In a device of the character described, a case having a display panel portion perforated by slots, and webs between said slots, polygonal rollers mounted in said case adjacent said slots, and a design impressed upon the faces of said rollers and webs to present a complete display or picture, and modified complementary portions of said design impressed upon the other faces of said 'rollers to provide modifications of said design when any of the rollers are rotated.

4. An amusement device presenting a changeable design comprising, a case having perforated slots therein and webs between the slots, polygonal rollers mounted in said case adjacent said slots, said rollers rotatable on trunnions, a design impressed upon said rollers and a part of said case, and means to hold said rollers in position.

5. An amusement device comprising, a case having a plurality of slots therein and webs between said slots, rollers having a plurality of faces disposed and rotatably mounted adjacent said slots in a manner whereby the faces of said rollers appear through said slots, a picture printed or painted upon the faces of said rollers and adjacent parts of said case, complementary parts of said picture printed or painted upon all faces of said rollers, and means for holding said rollers in rest position.

THOMAS M. JENKINS. 

